We just wanted to take a moment to say how grateful we are after wrapping up another summer camp together. Every year, we hope the week will feel like a mix of learning, fun, and family time, and this one really did. The kids showed up energetic and excited to see their cousins again; the Elders, chaperones, and teachers showed up ready to share their knowledge, dig in, and help; and all of you worked together to make it meaningful.
Read MoreRecently the sun rose at its most northern position on the eastern horizon. Summer is upon us.
As always the days are now long while the nights are short. Already, some fruits and seeds are ready to harvest. Soon the fall harvest season will be upon us all.
We in this new world spend most of our time on electronic marvels unaware of the natural world surrounding us. I suggest that during the day you listen to the air. Listen to the water. Feel the fire from the Sun.
Read MoreThe Amah Mutsun Land Trust is thrilled to announce Mark Mondragon as the new President of the AMLT Board of Directors. As a longtime Tribal leader, public servant, and advocate for cultural and ecological stewardship, Mark brings decades of experience to this role at a pivotal moment in AMLT’s growth.
Read MoreThis month, I had the privilege of joining Native leaders, funders, organizers, and community‑builders from across the country at the Native Americans in Philanthropy (NAP) Conference in Riverside.
I arrived hoping to learn. I left feeling part of a collective movement rooted in relationships, responsibility, and community, both professionally and personally.
Through this gathering, I was able to reconnect with former colleagues from my time working with the Indigenous leaders in my home state of South Dakota. The relationships I formed there gave me the foundation for the work I do today, and I was reminded of how they taught me to show up with integrity, to understand land as relative, and to recognize that stewardship is a responsibility carried across generations. I’m profoundly grateful and proud to have learned from incredible Native voices like theirs, and to be able to carry that forward for AMLT and the Tribe.
Read MoreAs we welcome the Spring Equinox and with it my 1-year anniversary with the organization, I find myself reflecting on what this season symbolizes for all of us at AMLT. Spring is a time of rebirth, renewal, and a re-envisioning of what is to come. For our organization, this moment mirrors the transformation happening across Mutsun territory and within our work. Over the past year, AMLT has stepped into a new chapter marked by expanding stewardship responsibilities, deepening partnerships, and a growing presence on lands that hold profound cultural meaning for the Amah Mutsun people. Each new property, each new opportunity, each new discovery of what the land holds represents a seed of possibility, one that will continue to grow with care, intention, and your support.
Read MoreWe have entered an exciting new era at the Amah Mutsun Land Trust. With the permanent protection of tooromakma hinse nii (“Bobcats Wander Here”) at the end of 2025, followed closely by the protection of a huge portion of Juristac by our partners at Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), we now shift our focus further into Mutsun territory and begin the important work of deepening and defining our partnerships, access, and stewardship of these sacred spaces.
Read MoreAfter decades of hard work by our people and supprtive partners, I am honored to share the news of an important milestone for our Tribe and for the sacred landscape of Juristac. Today, our partners at Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) announced the purchase and permanent protection of 2,284 acres of Sargent Ranch, bringing their total ownership to more than 6,100 conserved acres of the Juristac Tribal Cultural Landscape and ending the threat of a sand and gravel mine.
Read MoreHappy Fall Equinox! The Fall Equinox is an important time for reflection, prayer, and ceremony. I’d like to share why our view and understanding of the four seasons are of immense importance to our Tribe and all Native American Tribes. The four seasons represent the cycles of life, natural renewal, and the connection to the four directions. The four seasons provide clear directions regarding traditional daily and seasonal activities like hunting, gathering, and conducting cultural burns. The four seasons also guide our spiritual practices, ceremonies, and storytelling, which are needed to ensure balance between people and the natural world. Today, we honor these sacred practices passed down to us by our Ancestors.
Read MoreHappy Summer Solstice! Let's take a moment to honor this day together. The Solstice is a reminder to live our lives in balance our four-legged, finned, winged and plant kin. Summer is a time to deepen our connection with Mother Earth and to give gratitude for all that Creator has given us. Finally, many Native American Tribes recognize summer solstice as an important and powerful time for spiritual growth and healing.
Read MoreHappy Spring Equinox! This equinox signifies the start of spring and it is a time for new beginnings, a time of renewal and a time to restore balance to Mother Earth. It is during this time that families and tribes would gather together to pray for opportunities and make decisions for the future. Spring Equinox holds special significance in Native American cultures as the equinox also symbolizes rebirth. This is the time of year that our renewal ceremonies were held. Renewal ceremonies were a time to cleanse and purify ourselves and to rid ourselves of our fears, anxieties and negativity. As we welcome Spring this year, let us all give thanks for the cycle of life which renews our food resources, nourishes our nonhuman relatives and fills our world with beauty.
Read MoreSince time immemorial, Indigenous communities have recognized Solstice as a time to tell stories. Traditionally, stories are told by elders to pass down knowledge about the land, human relatives, and traditions. In the telling of them, they are also sharing their spirit and the spirit of their ancestors. We honor those who have harnessed that spirit and laid the path for where we are today. We know we stand on the shoulders of visionaries and thought leaders in this work, and we are grateful for their guidance and encouragement.
Read MoreThe Fall Equinox is an important time for reflection, prayer and ceremony. It is a time to express gratitude for the abundance that has been provided. This includes giving thanks for the harvest and acknowledging the love and generosity given to us by Creator and Mother Earth.
Read MoreHappy Summer Solstice! Let's take a moment to honor this day together. Many Native American Tribes recognize summer solstice as an important and powerful time for spiritual growth and healing. It reminds us that we must live life with reciprocity, to take only what we need, and to live our life in balance with all living things. Summer is a time to deepen our connection with Mother Earth and to give gratitude for all that Creator has given us.
Happy Spring Equinox! Spring Equinox holds special significance in Native American cultures. The equinox is a time of balance; night and day are both the same length of time. The equinox symbolizes renewal and rebirth. This is the time of year that our renewal ceremonies were held. It was at this time of year that our ancestors would climb to mountain peaks to pray. It was on mountain peaks that our ancestors were closest to Creator, whom is also known as Father Sky. Renewal ceremonies were a time to cleanse and purify ourselves and to rid ourselves of our fears, anxieties and negativity. It is also a time to pray for and to welcome new beginnings and opportunities. It is during this time that families and tribes would gather together and made decisions for the future. Finally, equinox was a time to pray and give thanks for the cycle of life that renews our foods resources and fills our world with beauty.
Read MoreHappy belated Winter Solstice! Winter Solstice was last Saturday, December 21st. Solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. Solstice marks the beginning of winter and as I learned from an Elder, winter is known to many Native Americans as the season for dying. For this reason, we must remember to take care of one another. We must stay close to our elders to make sure they are staying warm, have enough food and to let them know they are loved.
Read MoreHappy Solstice! Solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year. Solstice is a time when Native Tribes stop what they are doing and give thanks to the sun for providing warmth and light. It is also a time we pray that each day will get longer. Traditionally most Native Tribes hold ceremonies, offer prayers and songs, and make offerings of tobacco, sage and other medicines. We invite all people to pray for health, healing and our environment on this day. Our Amah Mutsun Tribe looks forward to the day when our people can return to our land and restore our solstice ceremonies as well as all of our ceremonies.
Read MoreThe autumnal equinox reminds us of the importance of maintaining balance in our life and of working to ensure balance in all traditional systems. The autumnal equinox also begins the migrating season for many species. It is the responsibility of our people to ensure the habitats for their migration are ready to receive them.
Read MoreLet's take a moment to honor the recent summer solstice. Many Native American Tribes recognize summer solstice as an important and powerful time for spiritual growth and healing. It reminds us that we must live life with reciprocity, to take only what we need, and to live our life in balance with all living things. Summer is a time to deepen our connection with Mother Earth and to give gratitude for all that Creator has given us. Ho!
Read MoreOne thing I was taught early in my life is that our people are survivors. One of my earliest memories is during apricot season; I was living in a tent with my grandmother at Swanson Ranch in Hollister. My grandmother was blind and we had to be available to help her throughout the day. We’d help her to her chair outside the tent, under the shade of apricot trees so she could sit down for dinner. We helped her walk to the outhouse so she could go to the bathroom, and we helped her ride in the back of the flatbed truck so she could ride to the “cutting house” to cut apricots all day long. I had a special relationship with my grandmother and, importantly, the whole camp helped her. My grandfather, who was born in 1900, picked apricots, so he was gone for the most of the day and when he got home he’d be very tired. My grandmother always had a smile on her face and didn’t look at this life as a hardship. She would tell us about our history and about her growing up. She always listened to the news stations on the radio and would tell us what was going on in the world.
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As we look back on 2020 we can surely say it has been a year like no other. We first had to deal with the Covid-19 crisis and all of its challenges that continue today. Then we were hit by the CZU lightning complex fire which brought devastation to so many of our friends and neighbors. I’m sure we’re all looking forward to 2021 hoping and believing it will be a much better year.
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